Fountain pen



Sept. 15, 1953 M. STIEFEL ETAL 2,652,030

FOUNTAIN PEN Filed 001;. :50, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. I

INVENTORS. MONA STIEFEL M l RIAM KALICH MAN Sept. 15, 1953 M. STlEFEL EIAL FOUNTAIN PEN 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 50, 1952 FIG. 5

INVENTORS. MONA STIEFEL.

MIRIAM KALICHMAN ATTO RN EY Patented Sept. 15, 1953 FOUNTAIN PEN Mona Stiefel and Miriam Kaliehman, New York, N. Y.

Application October 30, 1952, Serial No. 317,666

7 Claims.

rated accidentally from the pen body when it is in a persons pocket or pocketbook, and causes expensive ink stains.

It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to provide a fountain pen which is a unitary device, in that all of the components are coupled together at all times. Thus there is no chance of dropping or losing any parts of the pen, and the possibility of the pen staining a persons clothing or pocketbook is practically eliminated. As a result much inconvenience and expense is prevented.

Another object is to provide such a fountain pen which has a minimum number of parts, which is simple, convenient and positive in operation, and which nevertheless is inexpensive to manufacture.

Still another object is to design such a fountain pen so that the pen point or nib is fully enclosed within a barrel, when it is in its non-operating position, and even if the closure member should be moved aside, it is protected from injury, and it is prevented from coming into contact with and staining clothing or anything else.

A further object is to provide such a fountain pen wherein the operation of the closure means does not interfere in any way with the operation of the pen as a writing instrument.

Yet another object is to provide such a fountain pen which may be made in the sizes of conventional fountain pens so that they may be used in the normal manner and so that they will be acceptable to the buying public.

These and other objects will become clear from the following specification and claims and the appended drawing.

A preferred form of fountain pen, according to the present invention, incorporates a barrel open at one end and closed at the other. A pen point or nib is secured to and supported by a pen holder, and the nib and holder are retracted within the barrel when they are in their closed or non-operating positions. In their open or operating positions said pen holder and nib are extended sufficiently beyond the open end of the barrel so that the pen may be used for writing in a normal manner. When the pen is in its closed condition a closure member extends across the open end of the barrel so as to close it, and when the pen is in its open condition the closure member is located against one side of the barrel. The nib is moved to and from its open and closed positions by actuation of the closure member.

The present invention will be better understood from the appended drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of one form of fountain pen embodying the present invention, the several parts being shown in their open positions,

Figure 2 is a similar view, except that it is drawn to an enlarged scale, the parts are shown in their closed positions, and portions are broken away and shown in axial cross section to reveal the interior construction and arrangement of the parts of the device illustrated in Figure 1,

Figures 3 and 4 are transverse cross sectional views, taken along the lines 33 and 4-4 respectively of Figure 2,

Figure 5 is an axial cross sectional view showing a modified form of fountain pen embodying the present invention, and,

Figures 6 and 7 are somewhat enlarged transverse cross sectional views, taken along the lines 6-6 and 1-! respectively of Figure 5.

It will be noted that, for the sake of clarity in the drawings, the various parts and some of the spaces between parts are shown out of their true relative proportions. Referring now to the drawing, and more particularly to the form of the invention illustrated in Figures 1-4, the fountain pen shown there includes a hollow cylindrical barrel l I, closed at one end and open at the other, which may be of plastic, metal or any other suitable material. It will be understood that the barrel may be manufactured in any satisfactory ner. It may be molded as a single unit or in two separate parts which will then be joined along an axial section. Joining of the two parts can be accomplished by bonding or they can be juxtaposed and held together by two ferrules (not shown) positioned at the opposite ends of the barrel.

A channel I3 extends longitudinally down through the material of one side of said barrel ll, then across through the closed end and then longitudinally up through the other side. The channel I3 is of substantially oblong transverse cross section (see Figure 4) so as to accommodate a ribbon [5 of light spring steel. The chand should be of a cross sectional size and shape to make a fairly snug fit about said ribbon l but of allow the ribbon complete freedom to slide Fengthwise within it.

The mechanism for filling the pen with ink is -senorally conventional. It includes a pressure plate 5'? disposed along One side of the interior f the barrel M, which plate is actuated in well known manner by a filler lever l9, pivotally secured by a pivot pin 2! in a longitudinal trough 23 in the outside surface of the barrel. The barrel l l is also provided with a conventional pocket ch 24.

2 narrow slit (see Figures 2 and 3) extends from the interior of the barrel i! into one extremity of channel it, and a similar slit 21' (also seen in Figures 2 and 3) extends from the exterior of the barrel into the other extremity of channel !3. Diametrically opposite the slot 21, there is a longitudinally disposed groove 29 on the exterior of the barrel H. The slits 25 and. ill and groove 28 start a short distance from the open end of the barrel H and they extend along the barrel a distance approximately equal to the distance which the nib, to be referred to below,

is moved between its closed and open positions.

A generally cylindrical pen holder 33 is positioned within the open neck of the barrel l l and is of a size to make a snug, but longitudinally slidable. fit therein. The pen holder 33 is provided at its inner end with a short extension 35 of slightly reduced diameter. An elongated ink sack 31, of rubbery material, is cemented to the extension 35 in well known manner. The sack Si is of a length to allow it to extend substantially to the closed end of the barrel H when it is in its retracted position, as shown in Figure 2. In that position the sack is neither crumpled nor folded nor does it come into actual contact with the closed end of the barrel. The outer end of the pen holder 33 is fitted with a conventional fountain pen nib 39, or it may be fitted with a ball point nib or any other writing instrument (not shown). Adjacent the extension 35 the pen holder 33 has an externally screw threaded surface 38. The pen holder is screwed into an internally threaded collar 40, which may be made of thin plastic, metal or other material, preferably corrugated to form the screw thread.

One end of the elongated steel ribbon i5 is secured to the collar 40, as by a rivet 4| (see Figures 2 and 4) which extends transversely through the slit 25 and is slidable along said slit. The other end of the ribbon I5 is secured to one ear 43 of a closure member 45 by means of a rivet d? (see Figures 2 and 3) which passes through the slit 2'! and is slidable along said slit. The closure member 45 includes a slightly domed disc 49 and the two ears 43, 44. vided with an inwardly extending trunnion 5! which extends into the groove 29 and is slidable along said groove.

The operation of the form of the device illustrated in Figures 1-4 will now be described. When the pen is in its open position (see Figure 1) the pen holder 33, the nib 39 and the sack 3! are all in position so that the pen may be used for writing. The nib 39 and the outer portion of the pen holder 33 then extend beyond the neck of the barrel l. The domed disc 49 of the closure member 45 is then positioned against one side of the barrel ll adjacent to the lower ends of the slit 2'! and the groove 29. Note, that preferably the nib 39 is so positioned rotationally relative to the closure member 45 that when the The car 44 is pro pen is used for writing said closure member does not interfere with the fingers of a person using it. When it is desired to close the pen it is merely necessary to move the closure member 45 along the barrel H until it reaches the upper ends of the slit 2! and the groove 29, whereupon the closure member may be swung through 90 until the disc 49 extends across the open end of the barrel H and closes it. As the closure member 45 is moved along the barrel l I toward its closed position, the ribbon l5, being secured to the closure member by the rivet 47, is pulled lengthwise in the channel [3 and the pen holder 33, being screwed into the collar ill, which in turn is fastened to the ribbon I5 by the rivet ii, is pulled into the open end of the barrel El until it is completely retracted within it (as may be seen in Figure 2).

When the pen is in its closed condition and it is desired to open it, this may be done by merely swinging the closure member so through 90,

from its transverse position shown in Figure 2,

until it is alongside the barrel ii and then moving it down along the side of the barrel until it reaches the position shown in Figure 1, when the rivet 4i and trunnion 5! will have reached the lower ends of the slit 2! and the groove 29 respectively. This movement of the closure member 45 causes the ribbon iii to be pushed lengthwise through the channel [3, which in turn pushes the collar 4%, and the pen holder 33 carried by it, upwardly, until they reach their open positions shown in Figure 1. If repairs are to be made or it becomes necessary to replace the sack; 3?, the pen holder 33 may be unscrewed from the collar Ml. Of course the cost of the pen may be reduced by omitting the collar 40 entirely and pinning the end of the ribbon l5 directly to the pen holder 33.

The modified form of our device, illustrate-:1 in Figures 5 7, is similar in external appearance to the form already described, but its interior construction is somewhat different. It is made up of a hollow cylindrical barrel preferably of plastic, although metal or other suitable materials may be used. One end of the barrel 53 is open and terminates in an annular flange which extends inwardly slightly, and the other end of the barrel is closed. Inside the barrel and adjacent its closed end, there are two U-shaped walls 51, E which extend toward each other from opposite sides of the barrel. Each of said walls 51, 58 has the configuration of a semi-circle near the closed end of the barrel and it extends part way up the barrel on each side, thus forming, between the barrel and said walls, an undercut channel 59. The space between the opposing edges of the walls 51, 53 forms a furrow 6|, the purpose of which will be made clear hereinbelow.

Adjacent the open end of the barrel 53, there is a narrow longitudinally disposed slot 63 extending through one side of the barrel, and there is a longitudinally disposed groove 65 in the outside surface of the other side of the barrel. Said slot 63 and groove 65 are diametrically opposite each other.

Fositioned axially within the annular flange 55 1s a generally cylindrical pen holder 6'! which is of a diameter to make a snug but slidable fit within the flange. The pen holder 61 is provided at its outer end with a fountain pen nib 69. The inner end of the pen holder 61 is screw threaded for a short distance, then has a cylindrical extension H of a slightly reduced diameter for a short distance, and then terminates in a second extension 13 of a still slightly smaller diameter. Cemented in conventional manner to the second extension i3 is an elongated ink sack '55 of rubber or the like. In threaded engagement about the threaded portion of the pen holder 61 is a tubular collar 81, preferably of thin metal, the walls of which are corrugated to form an internal screw thread. A Ll-shaped yoke 11, preferably of thin stiff metal, has its ends secured to the inner edge ,of. the collar 8|, at opposite sides thereof, as by welding, and said yoke extends down one side of the sack 15, around its end and up the other side, so that a channel 19 is defined along two opposite slides of the barrel 53, between the barrel and the yoke. The material of the yoke H is of such a width that, when moved down toward the closed end of the barrel, as will be further explained below, it will enter into the furrow ti, as is made apparent in Figure 6.

A ribbon 33, of flexible light spring steel, is positioned inside the barrel 53, so as to extend along the channel 79, on one side of the barrel, then around the U-shaped channel 59 and then along the channel 19 on the other side of the barrel. One end of the ribbon 83 is secured by a pin 85 to one side of the collar 8!, and the other end of the ribbon is secured by a rivet 81, which extends through the slot 63, to one ear 89 of a closure member 9! (similar to the closure member 45 described above). The other ear 93 of said closure member 9| is formed with a trunnion 95 which extends into the groove 65.

In the operation of the modified form of our invention just described (Figures 57), the fountain pen is shown in its open or xtended condition in Figure 5. The pen holder 6'! and nib 68 then extend beyond the open end of the barrel 53 to allow the pen to be used in conventional manner. The closure member 9! is then positioned against one side of the pen near the lower ends of the slot 63 and groove 65. In order to close the pen so as to bring it into its retracted condition, it is merely necessary to slide the closure member 95 along the side of the barrel 53, from its position shown in Figure 5, until it reaches the open end of said barrel, when the rivet 87 and the trunnion 95 will have reached the outer ends of the slot 63 and groove 55, respectively, whereupon the closure member may be swung until it is positioned across the open end of said barrel and acts as a closure therefor. This sliding movement of the closure member 95 causes the ribbon 33, which is attached to it by the rivet 8?, to slide lengthwise along the channels 59 and 19. As the other end of said ribbon 83 is attached to the collar 31 by the pin 85, said collar is caused to move down the inside of the barrel as the closure member is moved up the outside. The pen holder 61, nib 68, yoke 11 and sack 15, all being carried by the collar 8|, move downwardly with it, and thus the pen holder and nib are retracted completely into the barrel 53 before the closure member 9! is swung into its closed position.

To open the pen the closing procedure just described is reversed. Then the ribbon 83 is pushed through the channels 59 and 19, thereby causing the pen holder ti and nib E9 to be projected outwardly through the flange 55 at the open end of the barrel 53, to their positions shown in Figure 5. It will noted that the yoke is free to move down to the closed end of the barrel 53, as it moves into the furrow 61.

In other respect the modified form shown in Figures 5-7 is similar to the form shown in Figures 1-4.

What we claim is:

l. A fountain pen, including a hollow elongated barrel, open at one end and closed at the other, a pen holder longitudinally slidable within said barrel and through the open end thereof, a nib and an ink sack secured to and supoprted by said pen holder, a channel extending along one side, across the closed end and along the other side of said barrel, a ribbon of springy material slidable along said channel, and a closure member for the open end of said barrel, said closure member being secured to one end of said ribbon and said pen holder being secured to the other.

2. A writing instrument, including a tubular barrel closed at one end and open at the other, a pen holder, a nib secured to one end of said pen holder and an ink sack secured to the other, said pen holder, nib and sack being longitudinally slidable, as a unit, to a closed position within said barrel and to an open position wherein at least the nib projects beyond the open end of said barrel, a closure member, a U-shaped channel extending along one side, across the closed end and along the opposite side of said barrel, and a ribbon of springy material slidable lengthwise in said channel secured at one end to said pen holder and at the other to said closure member, said closure member being across said open end of said barrel when the pen holder is in its closed position and alongside the barrel when the pen holder is in its open position.

3. A writing instrument, including a hollow barrel open at one end and closed at the other, a closure member for said open end, a writing means longitudinally slidable within said barrel to a retracted position completely within said barrel and to a writing position partly projecting from the open end of said barrel, a U-shaped channel extending along opposite sides of said barrel and across the closed, end, a ribbon of springy material slidable along said channel and secured at one end to the writing means and at the other to said closure member.

l. A writing instrument as defined in claim 3 wherein the closure member includes a disc and two ears extending longitudinally from opposite sides thereof, the barrel has an external lengthwise groove on one side and a lengthwise slot on the other, one ear has an inwardly extending trunnion slidable along said groove and the other ear has an inwardly extending rivet slidable along said slot and extending through said slot attached to said ribbon.

5. A writing instrument, including a tubular barrel closed at one end and open at the other, an internally screw threaded tubular collar, an externally screw threaded pen holder in threaded engagement with said collar, a nib secured to one end of said pen holder and an ink sack secured to the other, said collar, pen holder, nib and sack being longitudinally slidable, as a unit, to a closed position within said barrel and to an open position wherein at least the nib projects beyond the open end of said barrel, a closure member, a U- shaped channel extending along one side, across the closed end and along the opposite side of said barrel, and a ribbon of springy material slidable along said channel and secured at one end to said collar and at the other end to said closure member, said closure member being across said open end of said barrel when the nib is in its closed position and alongside the barrel when the nib is in its open position.

8 the guides and thechannel and having one end secured to the pen holder and the other end secured to the closure member. I

7. A fountain pen as defined in claim 6 wherein the channel has a furrow leading into it and the yoke is slidable into said furrow.

MONA STIEFEL.

MIRIAM KALICHMAN.

No references cited. 

